Sunday, October 26, 2008

So... we arrived in Pittsburgh on Saturday around 10am, after spending the night in Harrisburgh. We were happy to meet Mr. Craig Cannon from Fox Chapel High School. He showed us all of the pieces that we were going to be getting, and everything looks great. We will need to do a bit of touch up on some of the pieces, and the entire set is disassembled to make transportation easy. That means, however, that we will have work to do, in terms of putting it back together - shouldn't be a problem, as everything is conveniently labeled. You can see pictures below in the picasaweb, or you can see them full-size at http://picasaweb.google.com/owensjoThey everything looks good, but we will still have work to do. Our stage crew will be busy for this show.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Can't wait... on Friday, Fil and I are going to Pittsburgh to go see the set, take pictures so that we can see what we're going to need to do to take it home. Also, our new lights should show up sometime this week!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Auditioning and Casting:We (the staff) work very hard to place you in the best part for you based largely upon your audition. Creating a cast list is a lot like putting together a puzzle. We take a look at your audition and what we know about you and start the process of putting people with parts. Since this isn't an individual activity, often times if one person gets one part, it will affect the part that someone else might get. There are so many things that go into the details of casting a show, that it would be difficult to list them. Choosing one person for a part over another person is by far the most difficult part about directing a show, please understand that it is not something that we take lightly.

You either got the part or didn't:You should be excited to get a part that you wanted, and it's also okay to be upset if you didn't.Learning to be graceful in either situation is very important and a lesson to take with you throughout life. If you are assigned to a part that you think is good, be a good sport. If you are assigned to a part that you are not happy with, remember these few things. Each part is important, and I don't say that just to make you feel better! Additionally, it is okay to be upset, and it's okay to wonder why. My advice is this, most importantly, cool off for a few days, keep in mind that this is a learning environment, so asking "what could I have done differently?" or "What prevented me from getting this part?" is much more appropriate than "why didn't you give me that part." Additionally, do NOT post anything online, (facebook, aim, myspace) that you wouldn't feel comfortable saying out loud to your teachers, principals, parents, etc. Be professional

My experience has shown:There have been a lot of people that I have seen over the years deal with the frustration with their part. People either went 1 of 2 ways: They were either 1, miserable and brought others down with them, or 2,they dealt with the frustration, and worked hard at their part and then learned that it was, in fact, the perfect spot for them in the show - and as a result gave a great performance and were tremendously proud of themselves for overcoming frustration and finding success.

Learning to deal with both positive and negative experiences will make you a better person, and a better team member. Take each opportunity that you can to learn to be a better member of your team.

I will not spend time working on audition material with students involved in the Crucible until that show is completed! That show is where your priorities must be, stay focused.Singing Auditions will be held on December 16th and December 17th (Tuesday and Wednesday).Here are the guidelines:

You will sign up for a 1 hour slot with 11 other people (12 total, 5 minutes each)

Come prepared with your song, (more details on which one) you'll sing one at a time.

Anybody is welcome to sit in at any time, As long as you are willing to sit in for the hour (in other words, no walking in and out just to see 1 friend)

Be supportive of each other

Remember, preparedness erases nervousness!

Auditions should be a chance for us (Mr. Owens, Mr. Stelmach, Mrs. Messina, Mr. Carreras, etc..) to see your best work. With that thought, of course you can have a part in your mind that you might want to do, but make sure to sing something that shows off your best abilities. Always sing to have fun, like noone is watching; if you belt it out at home or with friends, do that for us, don't be afriad to show everyone the talents you have. After the fall show is over, I will be available after school (after Middle School, 2:45 or so) to work with you!

Once we get some time, I will work with Mrs. Messina to pick the songs that we will do in the song teach, and I will post that info here. Questions? E-mail me. jowens@mineola.k12.ny.us

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hi Everyone,This is going to be my main method of giving you all of the information that you might need to know what's going on with the spring musical. On the side-bar I will be posting all relevant documents (cast list, any order forms, scene/character breakdown). The calendar is posted at the bottom of the page. Comments to postings are welcome, but all comments must be school appropriate. Let me know what you think, of ways that I can improve this to make it more clear. As always, email me at jowens@mineola.k12.ny.us.

Check out google reader, and learn a little bit about rss, see the video below.

P.S. If I find other videos I like, I'll post them at the bottom of the page.

About Me

I teach chorus at the Mineola Middle School in Mineola, NY. Additionaly, I direct the high school musical productions. I'm proud to be teaching in the same district in which I received my own education.